Schwarzenegger vs. the press?

Thugs and Hummers: Is this the future of California political coverage?

By Bill Forman

http://www.newsreview.com/issues/sacto/2003-10-02/essay.asp

Call me naive, but one place I never expected to find myself last week was in a secluded alleyway with a guy in a suit and surveillance earpiece aggressively body-checking me.

My press pass and tape recorder in hand, I tried to step around or away from my new best friend, who mirrored every move like some evil Patty Duke. Two policemen, who’d already spent 10 minutes examining my governor-approved press credential and writing down everything off my driver’s license, silently stood vigil while the black sport-utility vehicle carrying the candidate approached the four of us. In vain, I called out to the man in the passenger seat as he passed by, cigar in mouth, staring at--or perhaps through--the odd choreography outside his window.

Getting Arnold Schwarzenegger to answer just one question that’s not on a list of Republican talking points has turned out to be nearly impossible. The California Broadcasters Association even pandered to the actor by providing all of Arnold’s debate questions well in advance. (Amusingly, the association insisted the real reason was so the public could prepare itself for the debate.) The Schwarzenegger campaign doesn’t want anyone to look too closely, so it’s no surprise that as election day draws nearer, he’s becoming less and less accessible to the print media.

This is the main reason the Terminator beat is frustrating for journalists seeking anything like a candid or unscripted moment. One such journalist--a high-profile political reporter for a major metropolitan daily--told me horror stories about following Schwarzenegger around the state, getting ignored in press conferences and not being granted even a minute of one-on-one access. (More at link)

From the piece above:

Arnold pointed to me. The sea of reporters parted, and I rose to my feet and spoke the question: “Do you consider Ken Lay a special interest, and why won’t you talk about when you met with him during our California energy crisis?”

And this is how he answered: “Well, first of all, I just found out very recently (turning to his handler)--How many days ago? Two days ago? Three days ago?--I had someone look at the record (to see) who was there,” he continued, insisting he was just one of 30 people at Lay’s meeting. “And at that time, he was not a star. He was unknown, not the way he is known now. So, I did not remember ever meeting him. So, then we looked at the record, and then we found out two days ago, yes, he was in that room, but I don’t even remember meeting him.”

Another reporter followed up with a question about deregulation. As it turns out, Arnold is for it. And then it was time to go. As he left the room, reporters called out questions about Karl Rove and Cheney. Arnold ignored them, exiting to applause from the more star-struck “reporters” left behind.

This weekend--while I pondered the idea that Lay’s public disgrace was actually a rise to stardom--the Schwarzenegger campaign reportedly put journalists in isolation. The media was placed in a press-only section behind a stage from which he would no longer take questions. Now more than ever, with only days left before the vote, Arnold’s handlers need to make sure that no one screws things up. Not even Arnold.

7 reporters working during 7 weeks.